EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
SAJID AZMI , CEO OF YEGERTEK
well as productivity . Moving forward , more concrete efforts will need to be made , to facilitate transparent communications and create better work-life balance .
During the pandemic , as a business with a digital-first approach , we witnessed the true value of digitisation . Over the past year , everyone has jumped on the Digital Transformation bandwagon , adopting cloud-based communication , collaboration and productivity tools . At Yegertek , we have experienced increased demand for CRM software and customer engagement technologies , from companies hoping to strengthen their customer-focused infrastructure and stay nimble . Most businesses are aware that the pandemic will have a lasting impact on consumer sentiment and practices , and that remote working is the new norm . So accelerated digitisation will continue .
The lessons of 2020 are not lost on the retail industry , which is leveraging technology to become more agile , proactive and responsive , in response to disruption . Retailers like Danube are reporting a 200 % increase in online sales , and 400 % rise in app downloads .
Digitisation is helping businesses cater to increasing demand and enhance customer engagement . The increased integration of e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail is delivering improved and personalised omnichannel customer experiences , streamlining delivery and empowering innovative loyalty programmes .
Besides the digitisation imperative , the pandemic redefined organisational priorities . Companies began to subscribe to an employeefirst approach , in addition to customer-focused strategies . Partly , this was due to the pandemic ’ s impact on employee health and wellbeing , as
In recent years , a new generation of customers has been redefining the standards of service they expect from the businesses they patronise .
The influence of this huge demographic is reshaping the retail landscape for those accustomed to legacy customer engagement as well . As a result , retail customers as a whole are putting the onus for better services , responsive omnichannel interactions and exceptional buyer journeys on the retail industry .
Personalised and targeted offerings , with meaningful holistic benefits as a standard feature , have become the new definition of ‘ value ’ for customers . And this is where the latest customer engagement technologies come to the fore .
Competitive retail businesses are now expected to be able to collect , collate and interpret data across all omnichannel touchpoints to gain a thorough understanding of their customers ’ needs and preferences . Doing so effectively requires the adoption of appropriate CRM and customer engagement technologies as a default capability for the retail industry . With time , these heightened customer expectations will continue to rise , requiring even greater personalisation , derived from data-led insights . A new tech-enabled era in customer engagement has become the norm , and it is here to stay .
MOST BUSINESSES ARE AWARE THAT THE PANDEMIC WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON CONSUMER SENTIMENT AND PRACTICES , AND THAT REMOTE WORKING IS THE NEW NORM .
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